Uddhav’s meet with PM sets political tongues from both sides of aisle wagging

With the memories of a closeddoor meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah that changed the political scene of Maharashtra still fresh Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray set lsquopoliticalrsquo tongues wagging on Tuesday after a private audience with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi Thackeray said there was nothing political about the meetingI had gone to meet the PM not Nawaz Sharifrdquo he told reporters who probed whether he met Modi in the absence of state ministers who along with Thackeray discussed a dozen issues with Modi The oneonone meeting between the PM and CM lasted at least 30 minutes said people in the knowldquoI have never hidden it I said it recently and Irsquom saying it again We Modi and him may not be in power together but our relationship is not over Meeting him privately isnrsquot wrong And it wonrsquot be wrong even if I leave my colleagues Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and exCM and PWD Minister Ashok Chavan here and go back to meet him Modi againrdquo the CM said at Maharashtra Sadan without revealing the details of the oneonone meeting at the PMrsquos residenceAlso Read Had not gone to meet Nawaz Sharif says Uddhav Thackeray as he plays down oneonone meeting with PM ModiThackeray said there have been many instances of him and Modi talking ldquoWe make calls to each other Isnrsquot that discussion personalrdquo he asked adding that he was happy with Tuesdayrsquos meeting and hoped that Modi would act positivelyThe meeting gave rise to speculations of the BJP and Sena patching up sooner or later Some Sena leaders who have maintained that Thackeray and Modi were on good terms despite their parties parting ways claimed to have proven their point Some said the meeting would come in handy for Thackeray to keep the troublemakers in the Maha Vikas Aghadi on their toesAccording to the Sena chief the meeting with Shah had been a reason to break the alliance with BJP because as a precondition for joining hands in Parliamentary and State Assembly polls the home minister had apparently promised Sena the CMrsquos post and an equal share in power The prepoll alliance broke and a threeparty government was formed under Thackerayrsquos leadership Shah denied making any promise much later endorsing the state BJP leadersrsquo standMaratha quotaIn an expanded meeting attended by Modi Thackeray Pawar Chavan and Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte the state delegation demanded that the Centre amend the Constitution to remove the 50 per cent cap on quota to give Marathas reservation in jobs and education since the Supreme Court has taken away the statersquos right to decide on quotas About a legal tangle over OBCrsquos political quota in local selfgovernment Maharashtra asked Modi to prevent the problem from impacting other states and make a uniform policy They also asked for a national policy for reservation for promotion in government jobs The Maharashtra government had such a quota but the court judgment stayed itKanjurmarg land for MetroThackeray petitioned Modi to end the tussle over the Kanjurmarg land for Metro 3 car depot The Sena government shifted the depot from Aarey on environmental grounds but the land is mired in legal controversy The Centre has been made a party in the court case The State wants Modi to instruct officials concerned to try for an lsquoout of courtrsquo settlementCorrect the governorDeputy CM Pawar said that they requested Modi to direct Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to accept the MVArsquos 12 recommendations for nomination in the upper house ldquoWe told the PM that wersquore a majority government and the Cabinet has taken a decision The recommendations are legal and hence he should tell the governor to clear appointmentsrdquo he saidThe State also asked for its GST share Rs 1000 crore assistance for a bulk drug pharmaceutical park R5000 crore to protect coastal areas against cyclones additional grant for urban and rural areas and the status of classical language for MarathilsquoCentre gives adequate helprsquoOpposition leader Devendra Fadnavis said he had been saying all along that instead of blaming the Centre for everything the CM should meet the PM to discuss the issues ldquoSuch meetings are good for Maharashtra but it would be appropriate if only the issues related to the Centre are discussedrdquo he saidHe said the Centre gives the State adequate assistance ldquoThe OBC issue is Maharashtraspecific Maratha quota can also be handled by the State instead of wasting effort in meeting the Centre The quota in job promotion is the Statersquos decision not the Centrersquosrdquo he added saying that the Metro tangle was created by the state governmentHe said complaining against the governor was ridiculous ldquoItrsquos the governorrsquos right Political parties or Centre cannot do anything about itrdquo